The brouhaha stemmed from a proposal by two businessmen to build a topless bar in town.

The raucous event last year wasn't typical of most Eatonville meetings. Yet it was indicative, some residents say, of the division and trouble that plague the community.

Many think that much of the turmoil is caused by Grant, who just completed a controversial first year as mayor of the historic community.

When the 28-year-old mayor swept into office in March 1994, he promised a more progressive and open government. He said he would bring affordable housing to the nation's oldest black township, build a new Town Hall and provide more programs for youngsters and senior citizens.

Yet Grant has fulfilled few of his goals, and critics wonder whether he is up to the task. They describe the youngest mayor in the town's history as a mercurial manager who focuses too much on minor details. He is carrying out a personal agenda, they say, instead of fixing the town's problems.

Overshadowing Grant's first 12 months in office has been his handling of the proposed topless bar, which businessmen Doug Bangle and Joseph Yossifon want to build. Concerns about Grant's involvement sparked an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which expects to issue its findings this month.

Additionally, the topless bar debate has generated five lawsuits, costing cash-strapped Eatonville and its taxpayers more than $50,000 in legal fees.

Grant says resources limit plans

Grant defends his year in office, saying he has done his best in a community with limited resources and a divided Town Council.

''I'm a people's person with the best interest of the town of Eatonville in mind,'' Grant said. ''But I have been taught by a vicious political cycle to be very careful because they shoot at me from every direction.''

Near Maitland and Winter Park, Eatonville is a town of about 3,000 with a rich history. Black Americans, pushed out of Maitland by white landowners, incorporated the town in 1887, making it the longest surviving black community in the nation.

Eatonville is an important symbol of self-determination for African-Americans, as well as the hometown of author-folklorist Zora Neale Hurston.

The town's politics have always been tumultuous. Yet many observers say Grant's administration has been bumpier than most.

Grant acknowledges that he hasn't been able to proceed on many of his goals but blames the topless club issue for occupying much of his time. The fallout from the bar proposal ''has hurt the town,'' he said, and disrupted day-to-day business.

Grant is proud of his accomplishments. He has appointed a transportation task force to examine ways to improve town roads and has begun a monthly free lunch program for senior citizens.

In a recent interview, he said his plans include revitalizing the town's economy. He hopes to adopt impact fees to pay for police, fire and recreation services; hire a town planner; and appoint a task force to advise the council.

Such plans prompt Grant's supporters to characterize him as a progressive, energetic leader with vision. They say he has been victimized by political enemies.

''I think he's done a good job with what he's been given,'' said council member Roy Sanderson.

Full-time headaches go with job

Still, there are those who wonder about Grant's abilities. The $6,000-a-year mayor's job is part time. His full-time job is as a recreation facility supervisor for the city of Orlando.

Ivory Brown, a longtime resident and political activist, makes no secret of her unhappiness.

''I don't think we'll be able to survive another (town) birthday,'' she said. ''This administration and the topless club will lead to the destruction'' of Eatonville.

John Butler Book, an outspoken critic of both Grant and adult entertainment, concurs.

''He will go down in history as the man who destroyed the historical, moral and spiritual value of the town,'' said Book, who has sued the town for access to documents related to the topless bar.

There's no end in sight for lingering topless bar controversy. Businessmen Bangle and Yossifon have tried for 15 months to build the club at Lake Destiny Road and Kennedy Boulevard.

Grant's position on the club is less than clear. While he says publicly he opposes the bar, some of his actions seem to support its construction.

The mayor insisted that the town needed its own adult-entertainment ordinance even though Orange County officials said the county laws would apply to the town. The ordinance Eatonville eventually adopted guaranteed that the bar could locate at the proposed site.

The ordinance was declared invalid because it was not properly advertised.